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J Bacteriol. 1966 December; 92(6): 1590-1596
Copyright © 1966 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Differentiation of Cariogenic Streptococci by Fluorescent Antibody¹

^a Department of Microbiology, University of Miami, School of Medicine, Miami, Florida

ABSTRACT

JABLON, J. M. (University of Miami, Miami, Fla.), AND D. D. ZINNER. Differentiation of cariogenic streptococci by fluorescent antibody. J. Bacteriol. 92:1590–1596. 1966.—Eight strains of streptococci were isolated from human carious lesions by the fluorescent-antibody (FA) technique. Seven of these strains produced experimental caries in hamsters or rats maintained on a high sucrose diet. The eighth strain was noncariogenic in animals but possessed some antigenic components in common with the cariogenic strains. On the basis of antigen-antibody reactions by microprecipitin and agar-gel diffusion patterns, the strains were divided into four groups; these groups differed with regard to their cariogenic activity in hamsters. Fluorescein-conjugated antisera, prepared against the human strains, showed some cross-reactions which interfered with the efficacy of the FA technique in differentiating between the related streptococcal groups. To eliminate these cross-reactions, a small amount of related-strain antisera was added to the fluorescein-conjugated antisera to the cariogenic strains. This technique is effective in blocking cross-reactions and should be tried wherever cross-reactions are encountered in the FA technique.

¹ Presented in part at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, Calif., 1–5 May 1966.